When Is It Time to Switch Camera Brands?

There's a lot made about switching camera brands, with comparison of specs and the latest features driving most of the discussion. However, this thoughtful video essay takes a much more pragmatic approach to the question, and it's well worth watching.

Coming to you from Sean Tucker, this great video takes a look at a common question among photographers and videographers and details both why he switched camera brands and his thought process behind doing so. It's certainly very interesting to hear the story behind how Tucker came to own three distinct sets of gear and how his desire to consolidate all that extra equipment into one set drove his decision, but it's the second half of the video that details his decision process and the philosophies that drove it that's especially worth applying to your own experience. Most of us are tempted at one point or another by the allure of the latest and greatest, and I'll be the first to admit that there's certainly a bit of fun in geeking out over the newest gear, but we have to be careful not to confuse that with understanding what the best tool is for our professional work.

It certainly is. If you can complain about the weight of a 5d then perhaps you are restricting yourself to a lot of areas in photography. A tripod or a studio strobe or even two lenses could easily be heavier. Unless you are doing landscape where extreme hiking is required, I don’t see the weight/size difference between a 5D and any mirrorless matters a whole lot that one would have to switch system.

For pro photography business the entire system is more important, keeping in mind a business could evolve. You could be doing street photography today who knows if commercial or wildlife photography may draw your attention. Just saying.

Judging by the list of his gear, he's had G.A.S. and still has G.A.S. And his G.A.S. had a lot to do with his move to Sony. It would be interesting to see how many cameras and systems he's gotten 5 years later after this switch to Sony. Nothing wrong with it if you can afford it and make use of it, but it's an endless pursuit always wanting the perfect all-in-one gear or even all the features on multiple systems. The perfect camera or having all the features you need is a myth. And you can buy all the best features and tick all the boxes today, but you will have a new list of things you don't have in a few months. Photography is still photography. With good gear and good light, you should be able to deliver an image without compromise for the appropriately sized deliverable. You don't always have to have the best every day.